Decarbonising the Indian transport sector pathways and policies

The report outlines two primary decarbonisation scenarios for India's transport sector: a 'Rail focused' pathway and a 'Road focused' pathway. Both scenarios emphasise that electrification is essential, aiming for nearly 100% electrification of road fleets by 2050. The Rail focused scenario prioritises a massive modal shift toward public transit and rail freight, which significantly reduces the total number of electric vehicles needed. The Road focused scenario assumes continued growth in private vehicle ownership, relying more heavily on rapid electrification and alternative fuels. The analysis identifies four priority action areas: sustainable urban planning to counter urban sprawl, improving non-motorised and public transport, expanding high-quality railway infrastructure, and electrifying all road vehicle fleets. It concludes that achieving these goals will require substantial international financial support and the adoption of global good-practice policies from regions like China, California, and Europe.

• The Indian transport sector is the country's fastest-growing source of carbon emissions, with road transport accounting for 90% of the sector's total final energy consumption.
• Under a Paris Agreement-aligned scenario, strategic urban planning and Transit Oriented Development (TOD) could reduce passenger transport demand by 22% and freight transport demand by 11% by 2050 compared to a current policy scenario.
• The 'Rail focused scenario' suggests that a modal shift toward public and rail transport could reduce the demand for electrified two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and light-duty vehicles by 88% and electrified heavy-duty vehicles by 80% compared to the 'Road focused scenario'.
• Full decarbonisation of the road sector requires all new vehicle sales to be electric by 2035, with a total mitigation potential of 570 Mt CO2eq in 2050.
• India's railway network is already significantly electrified, with 54% of conventional passenger demand and 65% of freight transported on electrified trains, but it suffers from underinvestment in expansion and maintenance.
• The report identifies a critical need for a comprehensive charging network, noting that in the 'Road focused scenario', alternative synthetic fuels could mitigate up to 2,200 MtCO2e between 2020 and 2050 for hard-to-electrify modes.
• The FAME II scheme provides US$1.4 billion in funding, with 52% of subsidies directed toward two and three-wheelers and 41% toward electric buses.
• To avoid carbon lock-in, the report recommends prohibiting internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle sales by 2040 and registrations by 2050.
• The report argues that India cannot achieve these ambitious transitions alone and requires international financial assistance via mechanisms like the Green Climate Fund and development banks, citing Paris Agreement Article 4.5.

APA

NewClimate Institute (2020). Decarbonising the Indian transport sector pathways and policies. https://climateactiontracker.org/documents/832/CAT_2020-12-09_Report_DecarbonisingIndianTransportSector_Dec2020.pdf

Chicago

NewClimate Institute. Decarbonising the Indian transport sector pathways and policies. 2020. https://climateactiontracker.org/documents/832/CAT_2020-12-09_Report_DecarbonisingIndianTransportSector_Dec2020.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=NewClimate Institute |title=Decarbonising the Indian transport sector pathways and policies |date=1 December 2020 |url=https://climateactiontracker.org/documents/832/CAT_2020-12-09_Report_DecarbonisingIndianTransportSector_Dec2020.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{newclimateinstitute2020decarbonising, author = {{NewClimate Institute}}, title = {{Decarbonising the Indian transport sector pathways and policies}}, institution = {NewClimate Institute}, year = {2020}, month = dec, url = {https://climateactiontracker.org/documents/832/CAT_2020-12-09_Report_DecarbonisingIndianTransportSector_Dec2020.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }